Before embarking on any marketing or promotional activities, it is essential to take a strategic, outcome orientated approach and establish some measurable goals before you head into the creative side of the campaign. Read on to find out how to make sure your next marketing campaign makes an impact on your target audience.
Find Case Studies
As unique as your campaign should be, seeing how your competitors and brands you admire have approached their marketing and advertising activities is an opportunity to draw inspiration and start thinking about how you can think outside the box to meet your own objectives. Visit www.simple.com.au for a great portfolio of previous campaign work and to be inspired.
Know who you’re Marketing To
Many businesses make the mistake of believing that ‘everyone’ is their target audience. No matter how broad your appeal, at some point you’re going to have to narrow it down and speak to a particular sub group or demographic. This is not as limiting as it sounds – generic campaigns tend to just fade into all the other hundreds of messages that people are exposed to every day.
Don’t Be Too Quick To Buy Into Fads & Trends
It’s important to make sure that your campaign is going to be effective and just because a particular technology or method is all the rage right now, it doesn’t mean it will necessarily work for you. Work out what you are trying to say and who you’re trying to say it to first, then establish the best way(s) to speak to that group. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd – who knows, you may even create the new must-use fad or trend!
Take An Integrated Approach
Even if most of your campaign activity or call to action is taking place offline, your audience are likely to want to find more information on your website or social media profiles. Likewise for digital promotions – people may still go into your store or call your customer service team for information about something they’ve seen online so find ways to incorporate your campaign branding and key messages into all your available channels and platforms.
Focus On The Feelings And The Experience
Find ways to highlight the less tangible features and benefits because unless your product or service has a particularly quirky component, chances are it’s the emotional or experiential connection to what you’re offering that is ultimately going to pique people’s interest. Try not to put too much emphasis on the type of information that people can easily find online or should realistically already know and focus on how using your brand is going to make people feel.
A well-executed marketing campaign developed through thorough planning can help businesses not only gain brand awareness and loyalty, but also help generate leads and sales conversion.
What’s your best tip for developing a creative and effective marketing campaign? Leave a comment below to share your answer and contribute to the discussion.